Tear strip can opener



Oct. 9, 1956 A. SORUM 2,765,952

TEAR STRIP CAN OPENER Filed April 22, 1953 32 /9 r INVENTOR; i K 28 BY,4/wxezw Saw/ 24 f TEAR S CAN OPENER Andrew Serum, Crookston, Minn.Application April 22, 1953, Serial No. 350,325 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-52)This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to key stripcan openers such as may be employed in connection with opening metalcans which have a band or strip adapted to be torn from between the bodyand the cover of the can as it is being wound upon the opener.

A number of prior art devices have been proposed for removing key stripsfrom containers or cans but, to the best of my knowledge, these devicesare inadequate to accomplish the removal properly because of severalinherent difliculties. The first of these difficulties is that the priorart openers have not properly provided for positively gripping the endof the key strip in the device preparatory to beginning the winding andcoiling of the key strip. It is generally attempted to cause the keystrip to bind against itself or to become secured as the handle elementof the opener is turned. Unfortunately, however, the end of the stripoften slips or becomes otherwise disengaged from the opener before ithas an opportunity to become gripped. This is especially true since theend of the key strip is quite short and is securely fastened to the bodyof the can so that it must be stressed considerably to start the tearingof the strip. A second ditficulty often encountered is that the openerdoes not have provision for guiding the coiling of the strip and hencemay be slightly misaligned, resulting in the strip tearing along a lineother than that intended. The strip will thus often become broken beforethe entire circumference of the can has been spanned. Thirdly, priordevices have not provided for a positive and easy ejection of the coiledkey strip after the can has been opened. Where individual keys areemployed, the entire device is thrown away together with the coil aftereach use. Where a device of more complex nature is provided it, ofcourse, becomes essential to remove the coil of banding or strippingafter it has been removed from the can.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide for acan opening device for key strip containers in which the strip can beeasily and efliciently gripped, coiled, and ejected from the device.

It is another object of the invention to provide for a handle elementhaving a locking mechanism for engaging the end of a key strip beforeturning thereof, the handle being constructed for forcibly starting andtearing across difi'icult joints and seams, it being capable of rapidmovement where the strip tears easily.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for a simple manualdevice of the class described which will have positive locking means forengaging the end of a key strip prior to removal thereof and ejectormeans relatively movable with respect to the handle for ejecting thecoiled strip after having been loosened from the locking mechanism.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similarparts throughout the several views and in which:

2,765,952 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my canopening device with the full line representation thereof showing itsposition while being operated to remove a key strip and the dotted linepositioning thereof showing the locking mechanism in open position andthe handles withdrawn to eject the coiled key strip;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the opening device taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, certain portions thereof being shown in full line;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged segment showing the relation of the lockingmechanism to the turning element and taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar enlarged detail view with the locking mechanismmoved to ejection position with respect to the turning element; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate form of my invention inwhich the relative movement between the holding structure and theturning element is effected by a combined guide and ejector.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a sideelevation of my device while a key strip 10 is being removed from acontainer 11 such as a vacuum tin so as to break the seal and render theclosure 12 separable from the body of the container 11.

In particular, my invention comprises a holding structure S which is inthe nature of a hand grip 13 having a turning element T disposedlaterally therein at the outward end as shown. In order to support theturning ele ment, I prefer to mount a sleeve 14 in rigid connection withthe end portion of the holding structure S, maintaining both ends of thesleeve structure in open condition. I may further provide a guide 15which lies in spaced clearance with the forward end 16 of the holdingstructure S. The guide 15 may be formed as a looped extension of thesupporting structure S which is rearwardly bent and secured medially ofthe ends of the holding structure S at 17. The sleeve 14 has a detent 18formed intermediate its ends and may consist in an indented area formedbetween two cuts as shown.

Journaled axially of the sleeve 14 is the turning element T, details ofwhich are set forth in Fig. 2. The turning element comprises a shaft 19which has fixed thereto at its outer end a handle 20, the handle 20preferably extending across the shaft and terminating in rotatablefinger grips 21 as shown. The other end of the shaft 19 is adapted toterminate at the other side of the holding structure S when in operativeposition, the extending end portion being designated as 22. The shaft 19has a central bore 23 and a key slot 24 in communication therewith forengaging the tab end of key strip 10 as shown in Fig. 4. The outer endof the shaft extension 22 is closely adjacent or in contact with theguide 15 in its operable position. The medial portion of the shaft 19has a reduced diameter 25 with the shoulder 26 near the handle end ofthe turning element and the abutting shoulder 27 near the end extension22 of the turning element T. When assembling the device, the turningelement is positioned within the sleeve 14 and detent 18 is depressed asshown in Fig. 2 so as to limit the lateral movement of the turningelement T by engagement of the abutting shoulder 27 with the offsetdetent 18.

A locking mechanism M is disposed longitudinally within the turningelement T and is adapted to move arcuately within the opening 23 formedtherein. The locking mechanism comprises a cylindrical shaft 28 whichterminates outwardly in a wing 29 which'is engageable by the usersthumb, the handle 20 allowing limited movement of the wing toeffectthearcuate movement. Mediend of the locking mechanism M terminates in alocking cam 32 as shown inFigs. 2, 3 and 4. The cam may merely comprisea longitudinal cut away portion at the endof shaft 28 so as to cooperatewith the key :slot 24 as shown in Fig. 4. An abutment 33 may be formedon the wing 29 so as to automaticallyopen the key slot 24 when the usersthumb presses the wing 29 to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 so as toeffect the relative positioning of the locking mechanism with the keyslot as shown in Fig. 4. The user then presses the thumb wing 29 to thefull line position shown in Fig. l which will cause the cam 32 topartially intercept :the plane of the key slot 24 as shown in Fig. 13.The cam will then bind against the tab end of the key strip causing it:to become firmly gripped within the turning element. The handle 2!).isthen rotated so as to cause the key strip 10 to tear loose and becomewound upon the extended end portion 22 of the turning element T. Iprefer to have the handle extend across the shaft 19 so that the usercan place his thumb and fore finger at opposed positions for uniformtorque whenever unusual stress is required, as for example, whenstarting the tear of the key strip and when crossing seams or joints inthe container. 'The remainder of the time it is understood, of course,that either one of the rotatable members 21 can be employed to effect arapid removal of the key strip. When the key strip has been completelyremoved from the cam it will be coiled thereon as shown in Fig. 3. Theuser then can swing the thumb wing 29 from the full line position shownin Fig. 1 to the dotted line position which will cause the cam 32 toassume the relative position with respect to the key slot 24 as shown inFig. 4. The entire turning element is then retracted laterally withrespect to the holding structure S which will cause the extended endportion 22 to retract within the sleeve 14 and automatically eject thecoiled key strip 10 from the device. The abutting shoulder 27 is sopositioned on the shaft 19 that its contact with the detent 18 willallow complete withdrawal of the extended end 22 within the sleeve 14.It will be noted that the guide 15 is so positioned in spaced clearancewith the outer end 16 of the holding structure S that it will maintainthe holding structure in alignment with the key strip during tearing andcoiling thereof and thus help to prevent accidental and prematuretearing of the strip 10.

The alternate form shown in Fig. 5 comprises a holding structure H withthe same general characteristics for cooperation with the turningelement T and the locking mechanism M. In this case, however, theturning element T is adapted to remain in a fixed lateral position withthe extending end portion 34 being rotatable within sleeve 35 but otherguide and ejector means E being employed for relatively moving apart ofthe holding structure H with respect to the extending end 34. This guideand ejector means E comprises a handle portion 36 which is rigidlyattached .to 'a guide 37, the guide 37 corresponding to the guide 15 of.the first described form. The handle and .guide have laterallyextending flange portions.38 at each side whichin turn are fixed to afork 39 which is adapted to lie in rigid spaced clearance with the guide37. Each'leg 39 of the forked portion lies .at opposite sides of theslotted extension 34 and in close clearance with the outer circumferencethereof. The guide and ejector means E is pivotally mounted'at 40 toupstanding cars 41 formed at each side of the holding structure H. Acoil spring 42 is positioned around the pivot 40 so as to constantlyurge the guide and ejector to closed position as shown in -'full line.When the'key strip has been coiled upon the slotted extension 34, aspreviously described'in the operation of the first form,

the locking mechanism will be operated in the same manner to align thekey slot with respect to the turning element similar to the positionshown in Fig. 4. The handle 36 of the guide and ejector means is thendepressed to the dotted line position shown and the forks 39 will causerelative movement with respect to the slotted extension 34 so as toremove the coil strip and allow it to be ejected from the device.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel, simple and efficientdevice for positively engaging and removing the key strips of metalcontainers, the removed coil of key strip material being instantlycapable of ejecting from the device after its use.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A device for opening metal containers having tabbed key stripclosures, comprising a-holdingstructure having a hand grip and anopen-ended sleeve secured rigidly and laterally to the outer end of saidhandle, a tubular shaft rotatable and slidable longitudinally withinsaid sleeve, said tubular shaft having an end portion operativelyextending beyond said sleeve and having a crank handle secured to theopposite end of said tubular shaft, said tubular shaft further having atthe extending end portion, a key slot formed thereacross longitudinallyof the end of said extending portion for engagingthe tab ,end of a keystrip, a locking cam rotatably journaled within said tubular shaft andhaving aradial handle adjacent the handle of-said turning element andfurther havinga diminished end portionsrotatable from a;positioninclearance with the plane defined by said key slot to a positionintercepting said plane whereby the engaged .tabend of a key strip maybe positively gripped by the locking cam prior to turning and-coiling,said tubular shaft and locking earn being relatively and axiallyslidable with respect to said sleeve member for ejecting a coiled strip.

2. Adevice for openingmetal containers having-tabbed key strip closures,comprising a holding structure having a hand;grip;and .an open-endedsleeve secured rigidly and laterally to the outer ,end of said handle, atubular shaft rotatable and slidable longitudinally within said sleeve,said ,tubular'shaft having .an endportion operatively extending beyondsaid sleeve and having a crank handle secured to the opposite end ofsaidtubular shaft, said tubular shaft further having at the extending endvportion, a key .slotformed 'thereacross longitudinally of the end ofsaid extendingportion for engagingthe tab .end of a key strip,-;alocking cam .rotatably .journaled within said tubular shaft and having aradial handle adjacent the handle of said turning element andfurtherhaving a diminished end portionrotatable from a position in clearancewith-theplane defined by said key slot to a position intercepting saidplane whereby the engaged tab cnd of a key strip may bepositivelygripped'by the locking cam prior to turning and coiling, andejector means glying closely adjacent said tubular shaft and locking camand relatively slidable outwardly with respect to saidextending endportions for ejecting a coiled strip.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,461,151 Keeler July10,'1923 2,286,039 Reynolds June '19, 19422,649,990 'Lyle Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 69,462 Switzerland Dec.21, 1914 609,967 Germany Feb. 27, 1935

